Kevin Rolling brother About Daniel Harold Rolling Danny Harold Rolling (May 26, 1954 - October 25, 2006), also known as The Gainesville Ripper, was an American convicted serial killer. [4], Rolling then went back downstairs, taped Powell's mouth shut, bound her wrists together behind her back and threatened her with the knife as he cut her clothes off. The killer was a Louisiana drifter who would come to be known as the Gainesville Ripper. Mark of a Killer explores the methods and the madness of infamous serial killers, starting with the premiere on January 20, on Oxygen, Sundays 7/6c. His appeals exhausted, Rolling faced execution at Florida State Prison on October 25, 2006. Julie Ann Grissom, her father William Thomas Tom Grissom and her nephew and his grandson, Sean Grissom, were murdered in their Southern Hills home in Shreveport, La., by serial killer Danny Rolling. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. She was also stabbed to death. But the verbal depravity was almost daily, with James telling Danny that he was unwanted or an embarrassment. The following May, Rolling got into one final argument with his father. Back when I was researching Danny Rolling, I wanted to write about a serial killer on a college campus, and an FBI agent hunting down a college professor. His paintings and various musings are now collected as "Murderabilia". He ranked fifth in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." . father and brother, and eleven songs about heartbreak and outlaws. Daniel Danny Harold Rolling was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on May 26, 1954, to Claudia and James Rolling, a local police lieutenant. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Biography reports they did, however, collect DNA from the scene of one of the Gainesville Ripper murders. Kicked out of the Air Force in 1972 after getting busted for drug possession, Rolling went to live with his grandfather and, for a time, found some stability through his church. And thats when she mentioned the family argument in May 1990 that resulted in Danny shooting his father in the stomach and the face. Except to identify him, she avoided eye contact. It was soon revealed that this student was battling acute manic depression, however, and with zero evidence connecting him to the murders, the task force was back to the drawing board. A former high school football player, Toboada put up a fight before both were overwhelmed; neither body was mutilated this time. Instead of throwing a big party to celebrate Muhammad Ali's 1964 win over Sonny Lison, Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown quietly met to celebrate the victory. When Danny was facing the charges against him in 1994, the court heard his mother, Claudia Rolling, detail the abuse that had changed him. In addition to "Scream," Danny Rolling's murder spree inspired the 2010 film "The Gainesville Ripper." He murdered five students in Gainesville, Florida, over four days in August 1990. Danny Harold Rolling was born on May 26, 1954 to Claudia and James Rolling in Shreveport, Louisiana. A second man, Edward Humphrey of Indialantic, Florida, was considered an initial suspect in the Gainesville murders; authorities cleared him of all charges after Rolling's arrest. However, there was no evidence linking that student to the crimes. In addition to abusing his wife, James reportedly verbally and physically abused both of his sons. At 62, Danny Rolling was a massive, powerful man. He mutilated his victims' bodies, decapitating one. There are now memorials across the University of Florida campus, including five trees planted to honor the victims, and a mural urging students to never forget. As Rolling skipped town, a local task force was assembled to calm a frantic community and find answers. A memorial on 34th Street in Gainesville, Florida, for Rollings victims. Also as an adult, Rolling had trouble trying to assimilate into society and hold down a steady job. On numerous occasions, Rolling claimed he had multiple personalities. Don Maines, an investigator on the case with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, traveled to Shreveport in November 1990, because of similarities between the murders committed in Gainesville and murders committed in Shreveport. Danny Rollings Florida victims: (from left to right) Tracy Inez Paules, Sonja Larson, Manuel Taboada, Christa Hoyt, and Christina Powell. He called the match to the evidence in Gainesville a "revelation" in the case. Born in May 1954 in Shreveport, Louisiana, his father James, a Shreveport Police Officer, made sure he knew he was unwanted. He broke out of prison several times and was fired and quit jobs just as frequently. Following his arrest, Rolling was interviewed by a number of mental health professionals, who all agreed he had some form of mental illness. According to court documents, Lewis even bragged that Rolling, who he called a woman and kid killer wanted him around for security since even the guards would leave him alone if Lewis asked. His mother made repeated attempts to leave her husband but always to take him away like a criminal because his father was embarrassed by Danny. Finding Powell asleep on the downstairs couch, he stood over her briefly but did not wake her up, choosing instead to explore the upstairs bedroom where Larson was also asleep. . Danny Rolling broke in May of 1990. In addition to that, he was a peeping tom, he was caught one time spying on a cheerleader dressing. Rolling and Lewis forged a close relationship, and Lewis became a sort of confidante for the troubled Rolling who blamed childhood abuse for his violent behavior. From the late 1970s to 1990s, Rolling committed a series of petty crimes and thefts. [7], In November 1991, Rolling was charged with five counts of murder. His father, James Rolling, a Shreveport policeman, informed Danny that he was undesired from conception. In the afternoon, his father put on a police uniform and served the law, and in the evening he returned home and brutally beat his wife and son. The triple murder in Shreveport of Julie Grissom, her father, and nephew clued the Gainesville police into their suspect. Gainesville Ripper murders are the subject of the book Beyond Murder by John Philpin and John Donnelly. Four of Rolling's victims were petite brunettes. Claudia tried to escape the toxic marriage, but time and again she returned. Already harboring a habit for voyeurism and plagued by disturbing visions, Rolling took a turn for the worse after the divorce. Lewis information spread beyond the five murders for which Rolling received death sentences: Rolling told him that he had killed a family of three in Shreveport after stalking the young woman of the family. In August 1990, Rolling murdered five students (one student from Santa Fe College, and four from the University of Florida) during a burglary and robbery spree in Gainesville, Florida. The report made her think about Rolling, whom she had met at her Louisiana hometown church, and his possible link to these three other Shreveport murders. The family had been attacked in their home as they were preparing for dinner. As an adult, he had trouble trying to assimilate into society and hold down a steady job. With the exception of Taboada, all of the victims were petite white brunettes with brown eyes, like Rolling's mother. The book Drifter is based on the 1990 Gainesville murders. It also included a segment of Rolling using one of his hearings as an opportunity to publicly display his affection, serenading London in the courtroom. At age 23, after being with his wife for four years, she separated from him after he threatened to kill her. In one incident, Danny's mother . It wasn't until early next year, when authorities used a tooth extracted from Rolling to link him to the DNA evidence at the Gainesville crime scenes, that he became a primary suspect. Photo: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara Print Cite Ron Word THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STARKE, Fla. Hendersonville, Henderson County, NC, USA, "; and Monday, December 25. i In The News, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. Two other psychiatrists also testified that a severe personality disorder was in play, but stated their belief that Rolling understood the magnitude of his crimes. His mother, Claudia, and later his brother, Kevin. Danny Harold Rolling (May 26, 1954 - October 25, 2006), also known as The Gainesville Ripper, was an American convicted serial killer. A 2007 independent feature film titled The Gainesville Ripper, based on accounts of the killings, was shot in the Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida areas. Thinking he may have lost it at the murder scene, he returned there, at which time he decapitated Hoyt, posed her body in a sitting position at the edge of her bed and placed her head on a shelf facing the corpse. Rolling found Taboada asleep in one of the bedrooms, and killed him after a struggle. Then the cycle of abuse continued. She attempted to barricade herself in her bedroom, but Rolling broke through the door. Danny Rolling lived an unhappy life. He told her the name of the personality, but she couldn't recall it. Strapped to a gurney, Rolling sang to a quiet crowd gathered to witness his death at the execution chamber at . On Aug. 24, 1990, Danny broke into the home of Sonja Larson and Christina Powell, both incoming freshman at the University of Florida in Gainesville. However, his divorce appeared to be the catalyst for his crime spree, as the murders began shortly after he and his wife parted ways. As he later recalled in The Making of a Serial Killer: The Real Story of the Gainesville Murders, Rolling endured the sort of horrendous childhood that made him ripe to emerge as a menace to society. At one point, Rolling worked as a waiter at Pancho's restaurant in Shreveport. While Rolling initially met with the task force alone, he asked for Lewis to join them; he wanted his friend to make statements and answer questions in his lieu. James also abused and beat Danny, Danny's mother Claudia, and his brother Kevin for frivolous things, such as breathing in a way that displeased him. In 1990, he set up a campsite in a wooded area behind the University of Florida, Rolling embarked on his murder spree as students began the fall semester. Ex-wife O'Mather Lummus, whom Rolling has blamed for much of his troubled life, walked into Alachua Circuit Court to face the man she had not seen in 17 years. READ MORE: Scream Cast: Where Are They Now? Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Rolling's third victim, Christa Hoyt, was also decapitated and her torso was sliced open, similarly to the victim in the movie. According to court documents, the task force who had met with Lewis on occasion refused his attempts to receive incentives in exchange for information. After arriving back at his campsite, Rolling could not find his wallet. After she had been subdued, he used duct tape to gag her mouth and bind her wrists together behind her back and led her into the bedroom, where he cut the clothes from her body and raped her. He was a cop and he consistently abused his wife and children. Rolling confessed to being the Gainesville Ripper. That same night, he broke into a home to murder 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her eight-year-old nephew, Sean,. [6] Three months earlier, in August 1990, Juracich heard a news report about a string of murders, as she traveled through the Florida Panhandle. James also abused and beat Danny, Danny's mother Claudia, and his brother Kevin for frivolous things, such as breathing in a way that displeased him. Although he was eventually named a suspect in the Gainesville Ripper killings, authorities had little evidence, and nothing directly tying him to the crimes. Claudia made several attempts to escape from the violent and abusive marriage, but she always returned. The son of a police officer and an aspiring country music singer, Rolling had spent a couple years in the U.S. Air Force before beginning a career of crime. Rolling then decided he wanted to help Lewis out so that Lewis could strike some sort of deal. [12][13] Rolling had a last meal of lobster tail. His works are an example of murderabilia. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. And nobody can get well with that going on all the time.". Lummus testified that she never saw any violence or arguments between her husband and the elder Rolling. 0:50. His microphone was then cut off, ending a life story as twisted as any that could appear on the big screen. Tom Grissom is buried by his daughter. Danny was only one-year-old when his father abused him for the first time. just kind of a deadpan expression. Temperamental, controlling and violent, James fought with Claudia and heaped verbal abuse on Danny and his younger brother, Kevin, resorting to physical attacks on the boys as they got older. He forced one young woman to perform oral sex on him before he raped, stabbed and killed her. On August 24, he slipped into the home of UF freshmen Christina Powell and Sonja Larson and brutally stabbed and raped both students. He reportedly exchanged many letters with freelance journalist Sondra London about Rolling. His father was a Shreveport police officer named James Rolling, who told Danny that he was unwanted from birth. Who Were Danny Rolling's Parents? As reported by Biography, authorities initially suspected another student, who lived near two of the victims and was displaying erratic and violent behavior in the weeks surrounding the murders. Jurors have heard evidence from a Rolling confidante, convicted killer Bobby Lewis, that Rolling "snapped" in a Mississippi prison where sewage spewed into his cell several times a week. Rolling told his friend how he killed the five students Sonja Larson, 18, Christy Powell, 17, Christa Hoyt, 18, Tracey Paules, 23, and Manny Tobaoda, 23 both orally and in writing. . "His voice was deeper, harsh . So now that its been a while, lets find out more about Dannys family, shall we? The series overviewed their romance, his artwork, and his supposed feelings of remorse over the crimes he committed. He bound and gagged her with duct tape while he sexually assaulted her, but did not kill her. A Friday night in May 1990, Rolling, then 35, shot his father, a retired Shreveport police lieutenant, in the head during a dispute at the Sunset Acres home. Shortly before his execution, Rolling confessed to three other murders, those of the Grissom family in Shreveport, Source:: [http://disturbinghorror.com/Serial-Killers/Serial-Killers-Bio/Danie]. Many students had begun taking extra precautions, such as changing their daily routines and sleeping together in groups. STARKE. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling was the son of James and Claudia Rolling. Tracy Paules, who was 23 years old, was living with her roommate Manny Taboada, also 23. Daniel Harold Rolling Executed October 25, 2006 06:13 p.m. by Lethal Injection in Florida 47th murderer executed in U.S. in 2006 1051st murderer executed in U.S. since 1976 3rd murderer executed in Florida in 2006 63rd murderer executed in Florida since 1976 Florida victims: (left to right) Christina Powell, Christa Hoyt, Die ma was nie in staat om die. At the time of these statements, Claudia and James were separated. By the end of August, thousands of students left campus and around 700 never came back because they feared for their lives. Those aggressive tendencies and poor impulse control would foreshadow Dannys murderous rage later in his life. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. He was brought to trial nearly four years after the murders. This fact angered James, who did not want kids, leading him to harm his wife and later Danny, along with his younger son Kevin. James also treated poorly and hit Danny, Danny's mother Claudia, and Danny's brother Kevin over trivial matters like breathing in a way that annoyed James. The lyrics, which Rolling apparently wrote himself, included,"He who flung the stars into the heavens above, Created the oceans the mountains the eagles and the doves, None greater than Thee O Lord, none greater than Thee Angels bow before you and fold their wings, Lift your voice and praise the King of Kings ". Father of Kiley Rolling The 1980s brought more of the same for Rolling, who was in and out of jail in Alabama and Mississippi for armed robbery. his face got real hard, almost no emotion there at all . He went on to marry and had a daughter, but following his discharge from the military, Danny Rolling committed a number of increasingly serious crimes, including rape and armed robbery. From what we can tell, it seems like Claudia passed away in 1995 after losing her battle with liver cancer, whereas James, a Navy veteran, passed away at the age of 81 in December 2012. His 2001 obituary described him as a positive, philosophical man who became adept in the art of manipulation [with] his own twist and was proud that his involvement in events following the Gainesville student murders spared the student families a prolonged trial. 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